Management and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires a diverse group of passionate individuals and the Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) seeks such an individual for a three-year appointment to its Environmental Management Career Development Program. As a staffer in the Environmental Management Career Development Program, you will provide staff support to the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Chesapeake Bay Program brings together leaders from state, federal and local government, as well as academia and the watershed’s many communities, to collaborate on creating the best strategies and tools for cleaning up the Bay and the rivers and streams that flow into it. The Chesapeake Bay Program is fueled by science and driven by partnership.

The successful will provide support to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Protect and Restore Vital Habitats Goal Implementation Team (Habitat GIT). The Habitat GIT works to restore, enhance, and protect a network of land and water habitats to support native fish and wildlife populations, and to afford other public co-benefits, including water quality, recreational uses and scenic value across the watershed.  It does this by convening habitat experts from Federal, State, local and non-governmental organizations to identify priorities, seek funding for projects, and leverage resources to facilitate projects that restore degraded and/or conserve high-value habitats. These habitats include wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, and streams. Habitat GIT Staffers provide coordination and communication support to workgroups associated with these habitat types and workgroups for species that depend on these habitats such as migratory fish, Eastern brook trout and American black duck. Staffers assist these sub-teams in data management, tracking progress toward performance targets, developing success stories, and representing this work at various forums. There are two Staffers that support the Habitat GIT. This Staffer position will co-support the Habitat GIT and be the primary support for the stream health, brook trout, and fish passage workgroups. In addition, this Staffers serves as the liaison between the Bay Program and the Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species.

 Environmental Management Staffer Responsibilities

The candidate selected for this position will be involved in core Habitat GIT activities and will be responsible for organization and support of meetings, member coordination and communication, tracking team action items, and research and synthesis activities, including reporting on performance indicators. Staffers serve on the Habitat GIT steering committee assisting the Habitat GIT co-chairs and coordinator to help inform the Bay Program partners of workgroup priorities. Additionally, the Staffers are key points of contact for delivering information from the CBP to partners across the watershed and are expected to manage the dynamics of each sub-team to help facilitate group consensus and collect pertinent information from group members in a timely fashion. The Habitat GIT Staffers assist the co-chairs and coordinator in translating and implementing Bay Program policies and priorities such as diversity, equity, inclusion and justice; social science; and ecosystem services to the workgroups. Finally, Staffers are engaged in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s innovative Strategy Review System which tracks progress towards the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s restoration goals by learning from past actions. The selected candidate will work as CRC employees at the U.S. EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

Summary of Responsibilities

  • Provide meeting support by developing meeting agendas, setting up remote technologies such as video conferencing (training provided), drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking and following-up on action items.
  • Manage and update content and calendar items on Habitat GIT and workgroup webpages.
  • Solicit, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or topics as necessary from Habitat GIT and workgroup members and experts.
  • Participate as needed to write reports and communication pieces, perform analysis, consolidate data, report on performance indicators and other tasks as assigned.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the position would have the following background and interests however if you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to submit an application.

  • Bachelor’s degree with a focus on natural or environmental science, fisheries, wildlife, forestry or conservation biology degrees are encouraged to apply if those applicants have an interest in living resources management and/or policy. Candidates with an educational background in living resources management and/or policy are also welcomed to apply.
  • Knowledge of ecosystem management concepts including its physical, biological, social and economic components as they relate to a large watershed restoration program is also desirable.
  • Ability to compile, track and assess environmental and natural resource data.
  • Basic knowledge and application of GIS.
  • Provide support by independently planning meetings, developing agendas, drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking action items.
  • Familiarity with using remote meeting technologies such as video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc.).
  • Ability to collaborate with a range of partners and stakeholders as part of interdisciplinary teams representing a variety of interests, in an environment meant to build consensus.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate with partners at all levels of program activities with diplomacy.
  • Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Self-motivated and a team-player.
  • Interest in learning how a multi-stakeholder, regional governmental-environmental-management partnership sets and achieves goals through collaboration, adaptive management, and science-based decision making.
  • A willingness to explore career options and interest in engaging in professional development activities.

Salary and Benefits

The annual salary is $42,481 and a competitive vacation and benefits package is included for the three-year position. In addition to the experience gained through your work assignments, CRC can support your attendance at professional conferences, workshops, and trainings related to your position, identified future career interests and individual professional development plan.

Application Instructions

Applications (a detailed cover letter, resume, list of at least three references, transcript [unofficial accepted] and a short writing sample) should be sent electronically to Melissa Fagan, Environmental Management Career Development Program Coordinator, at faganm@chesapeake.org. Please include information concerning education and professional background as well as immediate and long-term career goals as part of your cover letter.

Application Due Date: April 18, 2021

Additional information about the Chesapeake Research Consortium and its Environmental Career Development Program is available at www.chesapeake.org. Additional information about the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership is available at www.chesapeakebay.net.

Chesapeake Research Consortium is committed to a diverse workforce. CRC provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status or national origin. CRC maintains a drug-free workplace. All Environmental Management Staffers are required to successfully complete a federal background check upon hire.